DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the proposal): The long-term objective of this project is to understand the relation between chromatin structure and gene expression. A biochemical approach will be used to study the role of chromatin structure in the regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II. Current data suggest a model for transcriptional activation in which promoter-and enhancer-binding factors function, at least in part, to counteract the repression of basal transcription that occurs upon packaging of the DNA template into chromatin. The aim of the proposed work is to provide new insight into this complex yet important process. The specific aims are as follows. (1) Examine the ability of promoter- and enhancer-binding factors to regulate transcription with chromatin templates in vitro. These studies include analysis of the relation between chromatin/promoter structure and transcriptional activity, and investigation of transcriptional regulation by the human estrogen receptor. (2) Investigate the factors involved in chromatin reconfiguration and transcription with nucleosomal arrays This work will include determination of the factors that are sufficient to mediate transcription factor-induced reconfiguration of nucleosomal arrays, and examination of factors that may facilitate the elongation of transcription by RNA polymerase II with chromatin templates.